Improvement in clothes-pounders



R. B. PRINDLE & H. V. WINSOR.

*Y CLOTHES-POUNDER. Y, No.177,557. Patented May16,1876.

lllll l /fl i n i n l 1 l l l 'I l UNITED- y STATES .'A'rR j Fries.

RUSSEL R. PR'INDLE hun HRNRrv. wiNsoR, or NoRwIoH, NRW YORK.

|MER0VEMENT In` cLoTl-lrs-Pounoras..4

r Specification forming partr of Letters Patent No. `1"? 7,557', dated May 16, 1876; application tiled March 221, 1876. "l

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RUSSEL B.'l R1NDLE and HENRY Y. WINsoR, of Norwich, in the county of Ghenango and in the'State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines; and do hereby declare that the following is a full,

' clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had. to the accompanying drawings, making a part ot' this specification, in which-l Figure l is a perspective view of our improved apparatus, with one side of the tub or Water-reservoir broken away, and a portion ot the plunger removed so as to show the interior construction ofthe latter, and Fig. 2 is a like view of the lower side of said plunger.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of `the figures. Y

The design of .our invention is toincrease the ease and thoroughness with which soiled clothing may be cleansed by percussion; and it consists in the external construction of the plunger and its combination with thereservoir, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown.

. In the annexed drawing, A represents our plunger or pounder, constructed, preferably, with a square form in plan view, having vertical sides, and, upon its upper side, having an inward and upward inclination.` f Within the lower side of the plunger A is formed av recess, B, that is open at its lower side, and between said recess and :the upper side oi' said plunger is provided a second recess, G, which is inclosed at all points except at its lower side,where a number of openings, c c and c, extend between the same and said lower recess B. A-nurnber f vertical cross-bars or pins, D and D, provided at suitable points within the recess- B, complete the interior construction of the plunger, which is fitted into a reservoir, E, that corresponds therewith in horizontal shape, but has such dimensions as to leave a space of about one 'inch between the sides of said parts. To each corner of said plunger is attached a lug,a which loose, ly fills the space between the same and the sides ot said reservoir, and, in connection with the other lugs, operates as a guide to hold said plunger in a central position within said reservoir. To the upper side, at the center of .said parts.

longitudinal center within a-i'orked standard,

the plunger A, is secured a bar, F, which extends vertically upwardv beyond the upper edge of the reservoir E, and, at its upper end, is bii'urcated, so as to permit of the insertion between its arms ot' one end of a lever, Gr, which lever is connected therewith by means ot' a pin, H, Vthat passes horizont-ally through The lever G is pivoted near its I, by means of a pin, K, which passes horizontally through openings in said parts, and, in order that said lever may be placed at a higher or lower point to suit the convenience of the operator, a number of pin-openings, t' and c', are provided within said standard. Similar provision is made for changing the relative vertical position of the plunger A by providing a number of openings, fand f, withinthe bar F, into each of which the pin H may be placed.

rlhe operation of the device is as follows: Hot soap suds and soiled clothing being placed within the reservoir, the plunger is placed in position upon the top of said clothing, and the operating-lever connected, after which the latter is manipulated so as to cause said plunger to be continuously raised and let fall upon the contents of Said reservoir. At

the instant of the impact of the plunger upon y the wet clothing, the air-contained within the recesses B and C is compressed, so as to permit said recess B to be partly or wholly filled with water; but immediately thereafter said air expands to its original volume, and forces said water downward through said clothing. The result of such percussion and the rebound of the compressed air, is to cause so rapid a circulation of water through the soiled clothing, as to speedily cleanse vthe same from all impurities. Such water as passes upward between the sides of the plunger and reservoir is turned outward and downward by the inclined upper surface of said plunger as soon as the latter commences its upward motion.

The air chamber G serves to lessen the weight of the plunger, which, from its large horizontal dimensions, would otherwise be difficult to manage, and at the same time said chamber renders said plunger buoyant when submerged within the water, and operates to give to the same an upward impulse, which materially lessens the labor required to raise it.

As the plunger substantially fills the 'interior of the reservoir horizontally, it will be seen that at each. downward movementit .im. pinges upon almost the entire upper surface of the Ycontents 4-of the latter, sufcienaspace only being left between its edges'andith'esides of said reservoir to permit water to pass between the same when saidj-:phmger Ais :bei-ing` operated, by which means, at each downward stroke of said plunger, the entire contents cof said reservoir is operated upon, ,and such lan; agitation produced as to speedily cleansethe i clothing.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits Vof our invention, what we claim as new is- `of March, ,18516.

RUSSEL B. PRINDLE. HENRY V. WINSOR.

`Witnessesz E. H. PRINDLE, H. G. PRINDLE. 

